Getting attention for all the wrong reasons

The National list MP's apology for bad behaviour at a Hanmer hotel comes two months after he returned to Parliament to replace departing Speaker Lockwood Smith. He narrowly missed out on re-election in 2011 after special votes were counted.

Mr Gilmore, 39, entered Parliament in 2008 on the list after running for the strong Labour seat in Christchurch East, which was won by Labour MP Lianne Dalziel.

In 2010, Mr Gilmore was forced to correct his CV after the Herald revealed he had listed a high-level finance industry qualification which he did not have.

He was one of seven MPs who bought a property outside Wellington to use as offices and made the taxpayer pay the rent - a legal but controversial privilege.

The MP has also been mocked on a Facebook page, "Aaron Gilmore for Prime Minister", which claimed he had "been everywhere, done everything, and met everyone".

"Aaron has had every illness, worked every job, run every business and made every decision," the satirical page said.